Bound to Get Burned
by Myra109
Summary: (Powerless by Matthew Cody) Rohan didn't hear the trucks in time. In a panicked state, Daniel races into the burning Plunkett home. How will things turn out? Self harm, mentions of child abuse and neglect, mentions of attempted suicide, and car crash, possible character death but undetermined
1. Wrong Place, Wrong Time

_This fanfiction is about the Powerless trilogy by Matthew Cody. As you read on, the story will become more understandable if you haven't read the book. In summary, these kids had powers that would mysteriously disappeared on their thirteenth birthday, Daniel, a new powerless kid, stopped the thing that took the powers and restored lost powers. Now, a new school has been built for the super humans and Herman Plunkett, the bad guy, forced Daniel into his car and they are driving to Plunkett mansion. Rest of the details in story. Sorry, but only a few people have ever read the book._

 **Disclaimer: Matthew Cody owns the wonderful Powerless series. He wouldn't even let me have Daniel!**

* * *

Smoke billowed into the air and flames licked at the roof of the Plunkett mansion. Shattered glass littered the lawn and a hand wrapped in towels furiously waved from a broken window on the top floor. Three people, a burly man with a dragon tattoo, an elderly gentleman, and a fourteen year old boy, stood beside a limousine. The elderly man was yelling at the burly guy, something about his only family being in there, but his words were drowned out by the crackling of the orange and red flames.

"Lawrence!" Daniel Corrigan shouted to the burly man, "There's someone over there!" He pointed to an unconscious person lying on the blackened grass. The pair dashed over to him and Daniel found the fire chief lying there.

"Mr. Madison, wake up!" He yelled. "We need help!" Mr. Madison had yet to wake up. "Lawrence, take him away from the fire!"

Lawrence swung the chief over his shoulder and screamed, "What are you gonna do?"

Daniel smiled, despite his fear. "Someone's gotta save Theo and his family." Without another word, he dashed over to the house.

"What the hell are you doing?" Herman Plunkett shouted from across the yard.

Daniel didn't listen. He tried to twist the door knob, but something had been wedged against the door and he knew that he wouldn't be able to get through there with something blocking it. Picking up a huge rock from the garden, he tossed it at the window and heard it shatter, but all he felt was the sudden wave of heat that hit him like an explosion. Ignoring it, he jumped through the opening, feeling sharp edges prick his skin.

"Theo!" He coughed. "Where are you?"

"Daniel?" A voice weezed from a few rooms over. It was a miracle that Daniel heard it. Avoiding the fire, he burst into the living room where sixteen year old Theo Plunkett lay near the stairs, covered in blisters and burns and ash.

"Wh-What are you doing here?" Theo murmured.

"That doesn't matter," Daniel said, kneeling by his side. "We have to get outta here. Come on." The teenager lifted the elder and barely prevented from collapsing under his weight. Dragging him through the hot house, Daniel stopped beside the broken window and eased Theo out.

"Theo!" He called as soon as the boy dropped safely to the ground. "Who else is in the house?"

"My mom and my dog," Theo replied, frantically, trying to sit up.

"I'll get them. Get as far away from the house as possible." Daniel ducked back inside and began to run through the house and climb the stair case.

"Mrs. Plunkett!" he screamed. "Bernard? Bark or yell if you can hear me!"

"Bark! Bark!" Suddenly, a shaggy dog with a towel over his head attempted to tackle Daniel down the stairs.

"Woah!" Daniel coughed. "Bernard, go downstairs and wait for me, okay? If you can find the broken window, jump through." Logically, Daniel knew that the dog probably didn't understand him, but just in case he could, he ought to tell him what to do.

Bernard raced off down the stairs.

"Mrs. Plunkett!" He yelled, continuing to race to the top level. The smoke was assaulting his senses and weakening his lungs. Flames had burned him more than once and Daniel was sure that he'd be covered in scars if he got out of this alive.

"Up here," a weak voice shouted and he followed it to a bathroom on the top floor. Inside, he found Theo's mother covered in soot and ash, weezing, while hunched over from her coughing fit.

He placed an arm around her shoulders and began to drag her down the staircase.

"AHHH!" Daniel just barely avoided getting crushed by falling debris and pulled the woman alongside him to his escape. He shoved her through, not waiting to see if she landed safely, then grabbed Bernard, who had appeared at his side, by the collar and pushing him through the opening.

"AHHH!" Daniel screeched as a falling beam caught him on the back of the head and he fell to the floor.

"No!" He thought he heard Theo's voice, but he couldn't tell. Hands were yanking at him, pulling him through the smashed window and across the yard. Daniel saw one person- a person he recognized- leaning over him worridly just before he succumbed to the darkness of unconsciousness.

 _Eric._

* * *

Eric tapped his pencil on the desk, clearly annoying the classroom full of students. He was bored, bored, bored, and he still had an hour of detention left!

 _Crash!_ Every head in the room turned just in time to see Rohan Parmer stand up, his face as pale as a sheet, and dash up to Principal Johnny at the front of the room. He began to whisper to him about something hurridly.

Johnny nodded, stood, and demanded, "Eric, come on." The teenager was suprised. He wasn't Eric to the teachers; he had only been called Mr. Johnson by them. "Let's go. We don't have time to waste!"

The pair of super humans floated into the air before racing towards town.

"What's wrong?" Eric shouted over the wind.

"Rohan smelled smoke and heard fire trucks and a cry for help!" Johnny replied loudly.

That's when Eric saw it. A plume of gray-black smoke floated into the air and he could just barley hear the snapping of fire from nearby. Dread filled the boy's stomach.

They landed outside the Plunkett mansion, which was now up in flames, and Eric and Johnny were both in shock.

Herman Plunkett stood beside a limousine with his body guard, Lawrence, next to him. The burly man knelt beside the unconscious fire chief on the side walk, looking nervous. Theo was sitting next to the car, leaning on the front bumper as if unable to stand, and a shaggy dog bounded over to him. The dog nuzzled Theo as the boy began to pet him, relieved. A woman that looked a lot like Theo stumbled across the yard to her son and knelt beside him.

Seeing Eric and Johnny, she cried, "A boy saved me! He's still in there!"

"AHHH!" A scream echoed from inside the house, one that Eric recognized.

"No!" Theo shouted, but Eric barely heard him. He was racing towards the house, faster than Mollie, and he flew through the window to find a horrible sight. Daniel Corrigan laid upon the charred ground, blood beginning to soak his hair and he weezed in his semi conscious state. Burns covered his skin and soot stained his body and clothes black. Before he closed his greenish gray eyes, Daniel looked at him with a look of relief.

Eric dragged Daniel out of the window and towards the curb, where ambulances and fire trucks were arriving.

"Help him!" He screamed, noticing that the blood spot on Daniel's head was growing and that the boy's chest was barely moving. Paramedics, dressed in white, crisp uniforms, raced over to where Eric was staggering with Daniel in his arms. One of them took the feather weight and placed him on a stretcher before herding the boy into the ambulance.

"Can I ride?" Eric asked, staring at his best friend in fear.

"Since you saved his life," one of the the paramedics said as he strapped an oxygen mask to Daniel's face, "hop in, kid."

Eric leaped into the vehicle, closely followed by the last paramedic, who shut the doors behind him. The men tended to the worst of Daniel's burns while Eric held his friend's limp hand.

"Come on, Daniel," he whispered. "You can't just die after everything we've been through. Stay with us, Daniel. We need you."

* * *

Theo coughed and sputtered as he stumbled through the flame filled house. His clothes were scorched and blisters and burns ran up and down his body like painful decorations.

He wasn't sure how the house had caught fire; it had just been an ordinary day when the living room combust into flames. They would have gotten out, but the fire had spread faster than it should have been possible and blocked the staircase. Theo could have escaped easier, but he wouldn't leave his mom and Bernard. The smoke had quickly gotten to him and he had collapsed beside the staircase.

 _Crash!_ The sound of shattering glass pierced Theo's ears, but it all sounded like it was worlds away, yet he could hear the familiar voice clear as day.

"Theo! Where are you?"

"Daniel?" He weezed and he was sure that his friend couldn't have possibly heard him when footsteps approached him. Through the gray and black haze, he could see Daniel Corrigan, his face bearing a scratch or two and blisters all over him, standing above him.

"What are you doing here?" Theo commanded, anxious and relieved.

"That doesn't matter. We need to get outta here. Come on!" Daniel helped Theo stand, nearly buckling under his weight. He led him to a broken window, where he shoved the elder through.

Leaning out the window, Daniel asked, "Theo, who else is in the house?"

Caught up in all the excitement of the rescue, he'd almost forgotten about his mother and pet. "My mom and my dog," he said, frantically.

"I'll get them! Get as far away from the house as possible!" The boy ducked back in and Theo didn't need to be told twice. He stumbled back up and staggered towards the sidewalk. About half way there, he fell to the ground and someone was helping him stand.

He was laid on the sidewalk, where someone leaned him up and hugged him.

"Thank goodness," a voice said. He recognized it, but it was from a distant memory. "And you said I was a jackass."

That's when it came back to him. His Great Uncle Herman, if he could call him that, considering he hadn't been there for Theo the first sixteen years of his life and turned out to be an evil bastard.

"What-" Theo was cut off by his own coughing fit.

"No. Rest. We'll talk later, Theo." The boy was left leaning against the front bumper of a car, too weak to stand up properly.

Suddenly, in a stir of dust and wind, Eric Johnson and another man landed on the ground after flight. They could only stare at the house in amazement and shock.

"Bark! Bark!" Bernard tackled Theo and the boy patted the animal's head, grateful to Daniel for saving his best friend. His mother stumbled across the yard and Theo could have cried as knelt beside him.

"A boy saved me! He's still in there!" She cried.

Daniel!

"AHHH!" A scream alerted them from inside.

"No!" Theo shouted, but Eric was already racing across the grass and leaping through the broken window. Not even a moment later, he was dragging an unconscious Daniel through the opening and carrying him across the yard.

Paramedics rushed to meet him while fire fighters started on the fire. People in white clothing began to assist Theo into an ambulance and the last thing he saw before the doors closed and Theo passed out from sheer shock was the ambulance with Daniel in it rushing away, sirens wailing...


	2. Guilt is a Burden

_Read and Review!_

 _Warnings: language, mentions of death and car crash, hints of PTSD_

* * *

"I'm sorry that we didn't get there in time, Daniel."

"It's fine," the boy in the hospital bed replied weakly. "You did all that you could, Eric."

"Well, obviously, it wasn't enough! I've save people from car crashes, fires, drowning, everything in the book, but when my best friend needed me most, I was no where to be found!"

"ERIC!" Daniel Corrigan snapped and Eric Johnson looked up in suprise. Daniel had gotten irritated, defensive, and experienced several other emotions, but never had he sounded so angry. "You are the greatest hero alive, and you're only fourteen. You are a fantastic friend, a wonderful role model, and you stand up to what you know is wrong. How can you say that what you're doing isn't enough? It's more than enough, Eric. Look, I fully knew what I was getting myself into when I ran into that burning house. I'm not trying to play hero; I was not copying what you do. All I knew was that Theo and his family needed help and I wasn't about to let them die."

Eric opened his mouth and no words came out. He gaped like a fish for a few more moments before giving in and collapsing into a chair beside the bed. "I know that you weren't playing hero, Daniel. You weren't playing hero on any of those nights with the Shroud and you weren't playing hero when you ran into that mansion. You're just a hero in general."

"Thanks, Eric." Daniel hesitated. "Hey... um... how are the Plunketts and Mr. Madison?"

Eric went silent and he wouldn't meet Daniel's eyes. Taking a deep breath, he responded, "Mrs. Plunkett is alright, but she'll be on an oxygen machine for awhile. Bernard actually came out just fine. The towel on his head saved his life from the smoke. Theo... he'll be on an oxygen machine for a few more weeks and he was burned pretty badly. He'll be scarred for life, but he's alive and he should live a long, healthy life."

"What about Mr. Madison?"

"Severe blisters and some lung damage." Eric wouldn't meet his friend's eyes.

"Is he gonna make it?" Daniel asked, but he wasn't sure if he wanted an answer.

"I'm not sure, Daniel," Eric whispered.

"Eric Matthew Johnson, don't you dare blame yourself for this. Mr. Madison was hurt long before Rohan heard the fire trucks. It. is. Not. Your. Fault."

Eric paused. "It's not your's either, Daniel."

"I know," Daniel said, but the lie was so obvious, even to his own ears.

"It's the truth, Daniel." Eric leaned closer to Daniel and grabbed his hand. He laughed at the perplexed and awkward look on his best friend's face. "Daniel, if you hadn't gone in there when you did... all of them would be dead. I guess this is one thing we can thank Herman Plunkett for."

Daniel suddenly bolted up into a sitting position, apparently too fast. The boy gasped and his face crumpled in pain as he slowly laid back down, his breathing choppy and uneven.

"Daniel?" Eric's voice was filled with fear. He lightly shook Daniel's shoulder. "Daniel? Nurse? NURSE!"

A woman in a white uniform raced in just as Daniel passed out in the bed, swimming into the sea of unconsciousness. Other nurses ushered Eric out of the room and he sat in a chair beside Rohan in the waiting room.

"How is he?" Rohan wondered.

"He passed out just before I left."

"Is he blaming himself?"

Eric nodded. "He won't admit it, but he is."

Rohan chuckled to his suprise. "Typical Daniel. Taking all the blame when in reality, if it weren't for him, those people would be dead."

"Why is he like that?" Eric rolled his eyes.

"Honestly," Rohan began, "I think he's carrying around a burden bigger than this."

Eric thought about it. "What do you mean?"

"We've known Daniel for two years and he's been like this that entire time. I think something happened in Daniel's past that he won't tell us about- something that makes him feel guilty. And I'm gonna find out what it is."

"No offense, Rohan," Eric chuckled, "but Daniel's not one to talk."

"Well," Rohan said, "I'm gonna make him."

He got up and walked away from the perplexed boy sitting in the waiting room.

* * *

It seemed like years before Daniel woke up, but Rohan was at his side the entire time. And he cried.

Daniel looked horrible. His face was horribly burned and covered in angry, red blisters with bruises marring his cheeks and forehead. A bandage already stained with a few droplets of blood was wrapped around his head and Daniel was hooked up to more machines than Rohan could count. Tubes were attached to every part of his body; more bandages and casts were on his body than all of the original Supers had had in their lifetime combined. An oxygen mask was placed over his mouth and nose.

When Daniel started coughing, Rohan straightened and leaned over him so that Daniel would have something worth waking up to. According to Rohan's theory, if Daniel saw an empty room, it'd be easier just to go back to sleep, but if he saw his friend, he'd know that he'd be in for an ear full when he woke back up.

"Hey, Daniel," Rohan mumbled as his friend's greenish gray eyes fluttered open. "You feeling okay?"

"Hey, Rohan," Daniel murmured, his breath fogging up the oxygen mask.

"Why do you do this?"

"D-Do what?" Daniel stuttered. He sounded like there was cotton in his throat.

"You risk your life. I'm glad that you saved Theo and his family, but Daniel, why do you do it? What's the real reason that you do it?"

"What... you mean?"

"Daniel, I know that you blame yourself, but you did nothing wrong. If anything, you did everything right. I know that you have to be blaming yourself for something else."

"Chris- Christina." With that last word, Daniel passed out cold.

Sighing, Rohan walked outside of the room and towards Daniel's worried parents.

"Excuse me, Mr. and Mrs. Corrigan, could I ask you a question?"

Mrs. Corrigan looked up, tears filling her crystal blue eyes. "What is it, Rohan?"

"Daniel woke up, briefly, and he mentioned a Christina. If you don't mind, I was wondering who that was."

Mr. Corrigan looked down and, with a deep breath, began his tale. "Elizabeth," he gestured to Mrs. Corrigan, "had a sister. She was Daniel's birth mother and died when he was four, maybe five. At the time, Lizzy and I had been living in California and didn't even know that her sister had a son. He was passed around foster care for years. At his last foster home, when he was ten, his foster parents crashed their car. The parents died on impact; his foster sister, Christina, who was three at the time, died in his arms; and Daniel spent months in a hospital. Social services tracked us down and Daniel came to live with us once he got out of the hospital."

"Oh, um, sorry I never knew."

"It's alright, Rohan, you didn't know," Mrs. Corrigan choked before rushing towards her son's room.

Mr. Corrigan picked up Georgie, who was pulling his sleeve, and headed towards the restrooms while Rohan returned to Eric's side.

No wonder Daniel always blamed himself. His baby sister had died in his arms and all Daniel could do was watch.

* * *

 _If anyone would like to give me ideas for the story to come, please do so. It would be very beneficial to me. Thank you! Read and Review!_


	3. What He Never Said

_I'm not dead, people! Here's the third chapter._

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the Powerless trilogy, the great Matthew Cody does!**

 _Warnings: language, mentions of car crash and deaths, hints of PTSD, mentions of suicide and abuse_

* * *

"So, wait... you think that Daniel blames himself for every little thing that goes wrong because he blames himself for his foster sister's death?"

"To sum it up... yes," Rohan Parmer replied, nodding his head at his friend, Eric Johnson, who was currently gaping like a fish.

"B-But... Daniel wasn't driving the car. H-How could it be his fault?" Eric stuttered.

"It isn't, Eric, but Daniel feels that he could have saved Christina, but he didn't. He couldn't have. I looked up Christina Miller on the Internet and found dozens of articles, most of which included facts on her condition at her time of death." Rohan rummaged through his backpack and withdrew a stack of papers, stapled into a packet of black and white photographs and typed words of varying sizes. "For example, read the first three paragraphs of this article."

The smaller boy flipped a few pages of the packet to the back and handed it to Eric, who quickly scanned it.

 **ARGUMENTS OF DEATH**

 **By: Andrea Walter... Edited by: Alexander Hankerson**

 _This past Saturday evening brought a horrific accident and five tragic deaths. Thirty-three year old Lukas Miller and thirty-one year old Marissa Lewis Miller were having in argument in their car with their birth daughter, Christina Katelyn Miller, and their foster son, Daniel Owen Lewis, in the back seat. Christina was three, going on four, at the time, and Daniel had turned ten shortly before the accident. Mr. Miller had taken his hands off the wheel momentarily and the car had swerved into the wrong lane. The Miller parents and the other drivers, teenagers Max Baker and Alexandra Walsh, were dead on impact, but the two children were still alive._

 _Christina's window had been smashed as the car flipped and several pieces of glass imbedded themselves in her skull and body. The doctors suspected that if she lived, she would have brain damage and be paralyzed for the rest of her life before she would still die an early death._

 _Daniel, meanwhile, suffered broken bones of varying degrees and of some miracle, made a full recovery. He is currently being treated at a mental institution for PTSD. Also, as the police were cleaning out the home, they found a photo album of Ms. Miller's parents and her two daughters, Marissa and Ashley. Social services did some digging and discovered that Ashley Lewis Corrigan was alive and well. She was living in California with her husband and the couple moved to Philadelphia to raise Daniel._

Eric sat the paper on his lap and stared at a black and white picture of a car slipped upside down, glittering pieces of glass decorating the road in a horrible work of art. His stomach twisted when he saw a darkened spot and prayed that it was a printing malfunction and not the blood that had surely drenched the pavement.

His blue-green eyes traveled down to another picture of a little girl that had surely been a professionally taken photo. She was dressed nicely in a skirt that reached her knees and a short sleeved shirt with her hands placed over her lap. Below the photograph were the words, 'Christina Katelyn Miller, age three, two months before the accident.'

The flyer once again allowed his eyes to land on a photo of a little boy, much more horrifying than the first. He wore baggy clothes and was covered in bruises and scratches. Casts encased several of his limbs, both of his wrists, one of his ankles, and one of his calves had a bandage wrapped around it. Worst of all were his eyes; they were haunted, shattered like the broken windows of the vehicle. Beneath the picture, the statement identifying the boy read, 'Daniel Owen Lewis Corrigan, age ten, two weeks after the accident.'

"Oh my gosh," Eric mumbled, dropping the paper and looking at the closed door to their friend's room, tears filling his eyes.

"I know," Rohan muttered. "It gets worse; I looked up Daniel, too. Turn to page nine."

The black haired boy, an unsettling feeling growing in his stomach, obeyed and nearly lost his breakfast.

 **BOY ABUSED AND LEFT FOR DEAD**

 **Written by: Harold Marcus... Edited by: Carlos Wilkens**

 _Eight year old Daniel Owen Lewis was found by two police officers after a neighbor made a complaint about all the shouting from next door. He was covered in bruises and cuts with multiple broken, cracked, and fractured bones. His clothes were soiled and he was starving and dehydrated. Police estimated that he'd been left in a cupboard under the stairs for at least a week._

 _His foster parents, Kyle and Miley Axe Wheeler were arrested for child abuse, neglect, and endangerment, along with Kyle's sister, Amy Neal. Amy had abused the child herself more than once and was the one that suggested they drug him._

 _The boy spent an entire month in the hospital, healing and trying to be able to keep food down. Doctors found traces of alcohol and other drugs in his system, including sleeping pills and Ritalin, which they guessed were used to make him fall asleep and lose his appetite, so he never complained about hunger._

 _Daniel is doing much better physically, but still has a ways to go mentally. He suffers from PTSD and depression, along with social anxiety, as results from the abuse he suffered in the home._

"No way," Eric whispered, his face deathly pale and his hands clammy. His best friend... was abused? No, it couldn't be.

"Page thirteen," Rohan told him, sadly.

"How can this get any worse?" Eric groaned, flipping through the packet.

 **ABUSED AND TRAUMATIZED BOY ATTEMPTS SUICIDE**

 **Written by: Alyssa Amber... Edited by: Jason Male**

 _Daniel Owen Lewis Corrigan attempted suicide on Friday night by overdosing on sleeping pills and slitting his wrists. He has been abused by his foster parents in the past and his foster sister died in his arms after they were in a car wreck, leaving him with depression, PTSD, and several other mental disorders._

 _Daniel left three suicide notes, one for his adoptive mother, one for his adoptive father, and one for his grandmother. Yet, they were not needed. Daniel arrived at the hospital in time and was saved by a team of incredible doctors; he is now resting comfortably and will be going home within a couple of days._

The packet hit the floor with an thump and for several moments, Eric Andrew Johnson, age fourteen, student, and super human, didn't move from the shock. Then, he stood and stormed into Daniel Corrigan's hospital room.

And Rohan didn't stop him.

* * *

 _Feel free to give me any ideas! I love feedback and ideas from all of my readers! And again, sorry for the long wait._


	4. The Killer Imposter

_I'm sorry for the long awaited update. Read and Review (*puppy dog eyes* just one, pwease?!)_

 _Warnings: language, self harm, attempted murder_

* * *

"You're not alone, Daniel," Eric whimpered as he stared at his best friend lying unconscious in a hospital bed.

Daniel Corrigan may not have super powers, but everyone knew (and even Clay and Bud would admit it) that Daniel was anything but helpless. He was kind and brave and frighteningly intelligent with cleverness and problem solving to rival his hero, Sherlock Holmes's. The boy had saved them countless times and looking back on it, the Supers had never made up for it. Sure, they'd gotten him out of... erm... sticky situations, such as the fire or when he was about to get killed by Herman Plunkett almost a year ago. But, when Daniel needed them most, they weren't there and look where he is now.

"I thought I told you not to blame yourself," a voice rasped from beside Eric. Daniel's eyes had fluttered open and were staring at him intently, almost like a father's.

"I know, Daniel," Eric choked up and his friend looked at him curiously. "You know," Eric whispered, "when you weren't quite... with us, I guess... you mentioned a Christina. Rohan asked your parents and they told him, so he started searching for information. He wanted to know why you blamed yourself whenever something went wrong, so he searched your name and found some articles."

Daniel's eyes were nearly twice their original size as Eric showed him the packet, and he slumped against his pillow.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Eric whispered and Daniel winced at the amount of betrayal in every syllable. "Just tell me why, Daniel. We could've helped."

"No one can help me, Eric," Daniel murmured, tears filling his eyes.

Eric sat still for a moment before catching Daniel by suprise as he grabbed the younger boy's wrist and turned it, forearm up.

It was worse than he thought. Cuts and scars, the newest pry a week old, mingled in a horrid work of art upon his skin. The word, 'powerless', had been carved into the flesh.

"Danny," Eric muttered, the lump his throat preventing him from saying anything further.

He was shocked when the usually calm Daniel burst into tears.

"Chrissie used to called me that," he bawled and Eric understood. He wrapped his arms around his best friend and let him cry.

"I don't even know why I'm crying!" Daniel exclaimed. "It happened almost four years ago and here I am, bawling like a baby."

"Daniel, crying doesn't make you weak. A few years ago, right after you came along, Mollie sat me down and told me this: crying does not make you weak or pathetic. It just means you've been strong for far too long," Eric recalled and Daniel continued to sob. Crying for the first time in years.

* * *

"Mr. and Mrs. Corrigan, may I speak with you?" The doctor asked, gravely, and Mrs. Corrigan nodded before gently placing Georgie in Rohan's arms after he offered to watch him.

The parents and doctor strolled off into a more secluded area, and the doctor looked at the floor.

"I'm so sorry, but something's wrong with your son," he informed and the mother of father of the patient jolted.

"What's wrong with him?" Daniel's father demanded. "Other than the burns obviously."

The doctor sighed. "We're not entirely sure. The flames weakened his lungs and we most likely would've been able to reverse the damage, but excellerant was used in causing the fire. We're not sure on the type or the brand, but apparently the fumes that Daniel breathed in cased his lungs to be damned beyond repair. As time goes on, his lungs will begin to fill with water and blood. This is an unknown phenomenon; I've never heard of a case like this and we don't have a cure. I'm going to guess your son has about a month left."

For a moment, no one moved. No one spoke. No one even dared to breathe.

Sob. Mrs. Corrigan fell to her knees, her head in her hands as she cried, and her husband knelt down to comfort her.

"D-Danial's strong," the man whispered. "We have to hang onto hope... for us, for Georgie, for Daniel. Our son won't just let go that easily. He's changed since Philadelphia and he won't just abandon his friends. Hell fight through this."

Neither of them heard the fast pitter patter of feet racing away towards Daniel Corrigan's room.

* * *

"Eric!" Rohan panted as he arrived at the door to see his friend lying Daniel back on the bed, who was sleeping with tear tracks upon his pale face. "I need to talk to you."

The two walked back over to where the rest of the original Supers, including Michael and Simon, had gathered.

Rohan recanted what he'd heard the doctor share with the Corrigans.

Mollie was the first to react, falling into a chair and sobbing until she couldn't breathe. Louisa knelt to comfort Rose whilst crying silently herself. Simon's hands started sparking wildly. Michael turned, running out the door, where they saw him take off in a burst of wind. Eric walked outside and began picking up rocks and cracking them in half. Rohan just sat there; he didn't know what to do. How are you supposed to act when you're best friend is dying and you can't stop it?

He did the only thing he could do. He got up and strolled into Daniel's room.

Rohan halted in the doorway when he saw a man in a nurse's uniform with a white mask covering his face leaning over Daniel. The guy injected a needle into Daniel's arm, and the boy immediately started convulsing like he was having a very severe siesure.

"I'm sorry, kid," the guy mumbled. "You should'a kept your nose out of everyone's business."

The man turned and saw Rohan standing in the doorway, who quickly reached over and pounded a button on the nearby table to summon a real nurse.

"Who the hell are you?" Rohan demanded. "And what did you do to Daniel?"

"Move, kid," the guy growled, oblivious to Rohan hitting the button.

"Not until you tell me what you did," Rohan snarled.

The guy smirked, his face moving around the mask to suggest such movement. "He got a little to close to the truth for my boss's liking. This little injection will just ensure he doesn't get any closer and scare him into silence."

"What if it kills him?" Rohan gasped as Daniel began coughing in his sleep, his hacking sounding watery and choked like there was something in his throat.

The guy may have had a mask on, but his eyes were smiling creepily. "Bonus!"

The door swung open behind Rohan, who had closed it in order to trap the guy, and the doctor who had informed the Corrigans of the predicament stepped in.

"What on earth?" He whispered when he saw Daniel coughing wildly, now fully awake with panicked eyes; the man holding the needle and looking like a deer caught in headlights; and Rohan glaring harshly at the man. "Security!" He screamed, but the man was too quick.

The imposter kicked the doctor in the shins and shoved Rohan to the floor before making a break for it, blending in with the rest of the nurse's.

The doctor regained his footing and rushed over to Daniel, who was starting to hack up blood and water. Rohan knew what was happening; his lungs were filling with the substances.

"I need help in here!" The doctor yelled, doing everything he could to stop it. Adjusting machines, pricking Daniel with shots, listening to his lungs, but nothing worked.

More staff members bolted into the room, along with the Supers and the Corrigans.

"Get them out of here!" The original doctor shouted as he reached for a scalpel and an nurse ushered to hem into the hallway.

Rohan listened closely at the door.

All he heard, over all the commotion within the room, was:

Beep... Beep...Beeeeep.

* * *

 _I am going to give you guys a chance to vote on Daniel's fate. If no one votes, I choose, so now's your time to get your opinion in._

 _1\. He dies and the murderer is found_

 _2\. He dies and the murderer is NOT found_

 _3\. He lives, but murderer is never found_

 _4\. He lives and murderer IS found_

 _5\. He technically survives, but is put into a coma (later on, you'll get to vote on whether or not he wakes up if this one wins)_

 _THANK YOU ALL!_


	5. Epilogue

_Hello, people! Sorry, this wasn't quite on time, but still, it's pretty close. This is the final chapter but there will be a sequel, and I will tell you about that at the bottom! Thanks for reading and please review!_

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own Powerless, sorry to disappoint!_**

* * *

They attended the funeral the next week.

Noble's Green was a small town, where everyone knew everybody, and when one of them died, it was like a death inside the family for each civilian. The entire funeral home, the only funeral home, was packed with people, all crying or just barely holding back tears.

Mr. Madison was sniffling in the second row, his eyes redder than the truck he drove everyday. Theo and his family were strolling inside, Mr. Plunkett supporting his wife while their son limped in behind them, still healing but definitely looking better. Daniel's parents were trying to comfort a wailing Georgie, not bothering to hide their own tears as people gave their condolences to the grieving family. Clay and Bud lounged in the corner, and although Eric couldn't prove it, he was sure that there were tears in Clay Cudgens's eyes. Even Mr. Snyder, who seemingly hated everyone and everything except for math, was choking back heart wrenching sobs.

The original Supers were seated in the front row alongside the Corrigans, seeing as Daniel was their best friend, but Eric was beginning to regret that decision. His best friend just looked so pale and fragile... so empty. So lifeless.

"We are gathered here today to mourn Daniel Owen Corrigan, son... student... brother... friend... and hero. His friends and family are going to say a few words to honor this very unique boy that deserves to be remembered for all he's done. Up first, Daniel's mother and father, Ashley and Martin Corrigan."

Daniel's mother stumbled up there, Georgie in her arms and her husband not too far behind.

"D-Daniel was actually my nephew that I adopted after my sister's tragic death, but I love him just the same. Daniel went through so much in his life, the death of his parents and sister, abusive foster parents, depression, before he finally found a home with us and friends in these wonderful people." Ashley directed this statement at the original Supers, her eyes brimming with tears. "He was a very special person and despite everything, he found the strength to become a hero in more ways than one. He saved my husband and me after my second miscarriage and he saved his friends, or at least that's what I've heard from them. And then, to top it all off, he rescued the Plunkett family from the fire."

Mrs. Corrigan wiped her eyes and the people mentioned in the speech either broke down in tears of just buried their heads in their hands. Eric, though, just stared at his best friend's pale body, unable to tear his eyes away.

Mr. Plunkett decided now was a good time to take over. "My son was a wonderful boy and I regret every time I yelled at him, for his grades, when he up and disappeared for hours a few years ago. I'm sure all of the parents remember that, but there was a reason behind it. And looking back, I never really apologized to my eldest child. I love him, and he was a very special child that cannot be described with words."

Georgie suddenly started tugging on his mother's sleeve as they started to walk away. He whispered something in her ear and she nodded, holding him up to the mic.

"Daniel was the best big brother ever. He don't let the bad things get me and he placed Super man with me. I'll never forget him."

Crying erupted at the short speech. It seemed to be the needle that broke the camel's back and sobs echoed through the funeral home, the loudest being Mollie's.

Now, the Corrigans stepped down and Rohan stepped up. Standing on a stool with his back as straight as a rod, he began but solely by his voice and red eyes you could tell he wasn't as calm as he seemed.

"I first met Daniel two years ago, when we were both twelve. Mollie had told me about the new kid- the first new kid in a long time- so naturally I was curious. He had the same bus stop as us and he stood up to these two bullies. That took guts. Then, he saved us from the third rule by defeating the Shroud twice, and releasing the stolen powers to their rightful owners. And then he saved the Plunketts, the family of the man that took these powers. I guess we saw what we all couldn't. Even after last year, the Supers never exactly excepted the Plunketts into our town like everyone else did because we couldn't see past their name and our grudge against Herman Plunkett. Yet Daniel not only excepted them, he became friends with Theo and saved them from that fire without a second thought, despite the fact that he had no powers to protect him. It was quite heroic and whenever anyone asked me who my best friend is, I will always say Daniel Corrigan, even though he's passed on. He will be remembered, that I can assure you."

Rohan stepped down as everyone dabbed their eyes at the speech that the little teenager had made.

Next was Louisa and Rose Rodriguez, both decked out in black dresses and flats.

"I had a crush on Daniel last year," Louisa began. "I even kissed him, but I won't remember him as that school girl crush or anything of the sort. I'll remember him as my friend, my hero. He's saved my life more times than I can count, and I never saved him once. I would give anything to do it again, but I can't. I'll miss him dearly, and I won't forget him. I loved him."

She stepped back and Rose took her place at the podium.

"Daniel was my hero. In fact, I wrote my 'who is your hero?' paper on Daniel because he's always there for me. He never got annoyed with me, or at least didn't show it, and he always found time to spend with me. He was like my big brother."

The little girl began sobbing and Louisa led her back to their seats, cradling her little sister as she heaved hard breaking cries.

Next up was Simon and Michael, who decided to step up at the same time and make their speeches together.

"For those of you that don't know, Daniel helped to restore our stolen powers last year," Michael announced.

"When Daniel came to town, all of the Supers questioned the rules and figured that Daniel was they key to preventing the third rule. He stayed with me throughout the night of my thirteenth birthday, and even when the Shroud came, he didn't back down. He tried to lead it out, to fight it, to help me and got a broken arm because of it. Then, he saved me again when he returned my powers. Daniel is a person that never stops giving," Simon stated.

"I agree," Michael picked up. "I didn't know him as well as I wish I had, but I knew him well enough to know he is a person you want to be. He has a golden character and that's really the only thing I can use to describe it. He was kind and I could see him being a great detective someday- a professional one. I could see him being a fantastic father and husband, but that was stolen from him. I can only wait until the day we see him again."

Whether than saying anything, Simon walked over to the casket and placed a rose on top of Daniel's very still chest.

"Goodbye, Daniel Corrigan. You will be remembered," he whispered.

Next was Mollie, who was still choking back sobs as she waltzed up to the podium.

"I loved him," were the first words out of her mouth. "Since the day we met two years ago, I've had a crush on him. He was my first kiss, my friend; he was everything to me. I don't have much to say because, as Daniel described me, I'm no words and all action. He was right. I promise that I will search for the person that did this until my dying day. And I will find him. It's the least I can do for the boy that did so much for me."

She stepped down, her features set in a definite and determined glare.

Eric was last and he had had this speech planned out for months. He just thought he'd say it to Daniel's face and not at his funeral.

"This is a letter I wrote to Daniel a few months ago, before the fire. I figured since I'm not able to read it to him, I can at least share what it says." Eric fumbled with the paper.

"Dear Daniel,

Thank you for everything. For helping to defeat the Shroud even though you could have easily walked away from this fight. I'm not mad at you for blaming me because we all make mistakes and you made up for it to by defeating the thief that would've stolen my powers on my thirteenth birthday. Thank you for returning the stolen powers and getting Michael and Simon back. Thank you so much.

You are one of the first people that I have trusted since my dad died. I've told you things that I don't even tell Mollie or Rohan because I have a feeling you understand what I'm going through.

Thank you, Daniel, and I want you to remember something. You act like you're alone, Daniel, but you're not. I know you've always been a loner, but you have friends, Daniel. You don't have to do everything alone. Never forget that.

-Eric."

Applause and sobs mixed together, but Daniel didn't hear it.

'Oh, Daniel,' he thought, 'why didn't you listen to me?'

* * *

When Daniel woke up, he found himself staring at the back of a car seat. The back of the drivers seat in his mom's minivan, to be exact.

What? He wondered.

He looked to the side and saw Georgie- around two years old, though, not four- passed out in his car seat with his parents talking in the front.

What the heck?

He leaned forward and heard the crumbling of paper in his sweatshirt pocket.

Reaching into his pocket, Daniel pulled out a ripped piece of lined paper.

It read: ' _Make it right_.'

It was unsigned.

Daniel pulled his phone out of his pocket and read the date, nearly dropping it in shock.

August 11, 2014.

Two years ago.

* * *

 _there will be a sequel, and I have not decided on the publishing date or the title yet, but it'll be up soon! It will be about Daniel getting another chance because of everything that happened to him and all of his heroic deeds. He will time travel back to the Powerless time and try to change everything that occurred._

 _Review! It would really make my day!_

 _Thanks for reading! Goodbye!_


	6. Sequel is Up!

Sequel is up! It's called Second Chances.

Daniel Corrigan should be dead, but there's a problem: he isn't. Instead, he finds himself back in time on the day he moved to Noble's Green. Can he change everything that occurred or will the mission crash and burn?


	7. Rewrite In Progress

Hello, everyone. I am rewriting this story. I will leave this story up until I finish the rewritten version. As soon as I finish the rewritten version, I will delete this one and post the rewrite. So if you come to this story one day and see that this story has been deleted, check my page. If this story has been deleted, it means that the rewrite has been posted. Thank you for taking the time to read this note.


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